In the land of my birth November is the month for Thanksgiving. This national holiday is the most important holiday in the year and in almost all places it is a ‘four day weekend’. Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November and it is the one holiday that people might ‘go home for’. Christmas by contrast is a time to visit friends or relatives who live nearby. Christmas, unlike Thanksgiving, is also a religious festival.Thanksgiving goes back to sometime in the 18th century and commemorates the first harvest the settlers from Europe managed – they finally sought, and took advice, from the indigenous people about which crops would grow in that area and how to make the land productive. In many families Thanksgiving takes on a religious character because thanks is given to God who provides. Many families today will, in their commemorations, also explore the issues of oppression and subjugation to which the indigenous peoples were subjected and in recognition of this seek to renew a commitment to honouring the dignity of all people.It’s a cliché – but I think bears repeating, that ‘gratitude is the right attitude’. Establishing an attitude means to practice something for long enough for it to become a habit and to be able to reflect of the positive benefits for ourselves. True gratitude is not a hollow gesture and is much more than simply saying ‘please and thank you’. The habit of gratitude is achieved when we look outwards and not inwards. We thank others for what they have done, or tried, because THEY did it, or they tried to do it. We don’t thank others only when we feel that WE have benefited in some way- that’s to look inwards. As people of faith we thank God daily in our prayers. Yes, for what God provides, but primarily simply because God is God. Jesus taught his friends to remind themselves in their prayers that God [God’s name] is holy.An attitude of gratitude is not necessarily easy. It requires practising when we may not feel as if we have received any direct benefit. It requires practising when someone hasn’t quite got it completely, but they really tried their best. It requires practising in our prayers as we seek to hear God speak to us.In Britain we may not have a ‘four day weekend’ to focus on Thanksgiving but as people of faith we have the most powerful starting point for our attitude of gratitude – which is to thank God for God’s love shown to us in Jesus Christ. As we approach Advent and recall the hopeful expectation of our faith ancestors may we be thankful people - not for any specific gift we’ve received – but just because ‘gratitude is the right attitude’.Dean Dianna
Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich and the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment, and Olivia Graham, the Bishop of Reading, have spoken at the conclusion of COP.In a statement they said: "At COP we called for keeping global warming to below 1.5 degrees, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and securing finance for the world's most vulnerable people who are already effected by climate breakdown. “Progress was made in all these areas, plus cutting methane emissions and halting deforestation. We were particularly inspired to hear powerful testimonies from young people and representatives of indigenous peoples.“We pay tribute to the work of Alok Sharma MP, the COP26 President, and his team.“Negotiations always have some compromises and disappointments. These impact the world’s economically poorest the most. We must now keep up the moral pressure so that pledges are urgently turned into measurable action. “The whole world needs to do more for climate justice. More quickly. More generously. More together. During its presidency year, the UK can be a key player.“And this includes all of us within the Church of England. “At Glasgow, the world glimpsed the possibility of a hopeful future. Hurting God’s creation and contributing to the suffering of God’s poorest people is not the ‘love God and your neighbour’ that Jesus commands of us.“COP showed us the unity of purpose people of faith can bring. This encouragement should reignite in all of us hope for our future.”
The Church of England’s first Head of its new Growing Faith Foundation has been announced as Lucy Moore.Lucy (see photo) is a secondary school teacher by training who in 2004 began Messy Church. Originally a Fresh Expression in a church near Portsmouth, Messy Church now has more than 3,500 settings in over 30 countries.The Growing Faith Concept began in 2019 to promote partnership between the church, school and household to encourage and nurture Christian faith in those of all ages within those communities.This has resulted in a number of initiatives at diocesan and parish level, and a major series of ‘Faith at Home’ video resources, which were widely used during Covid-19 lockdown, including as Collective Worship for the Oak National online Academy.The new Foundation will seek to build on and expand this work, and to be a strategic lead across the Church of England to grow a younger church and increase engagement with children and families in different settings. The role is part-funded by a generous grant from AllChurches Trust.The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “We’re delighted that Lucy will bring her considerable gifts and experience to the important work of setting up the Growing Faith Foundation, which goes to the heart of the Church of England’s aim to grow younger and more diverse.“Growing Faith has already become a key concept for engaging younger people in the home, at school and in church, and this is an exciting time as we develop resource through the Foundation, with the aim of helping more young people to encounter Jesus Christ.”During her work with Messy Church at BRF, Lucy has written many books and been responsible for developing the work of the initiative nationally and internationally. She is part of the Leadership Community of Fresh Expressions, a member of the College of Evangelists and has previously been a member of General Synod. Commenting on her appointment, Lucy Moore said: “I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to take on this role within a movement that’s already been active for several years to be even more of a blessing to the under-16s in our communities and to be blessed by them in return.“Every church longs to be as hospitable as Jesus himself to those who don’t yet belong. We’ve seen first-hand what new life and energy pours into a local church when we get that hospitality right, so I’m confident that together we will make a difference. “I’m looking forward to meeting awesome people, lots of listening, lots of ideas-sharing across different traditions and contexts, lots of excitement as new opportunities are noticed and acted on. “The Growing Faith Foundation will do its level best to help all parishes be even better at helping everyone meet, love and follow Jesus, especially those under the age of 16.” The Church of England's Chief Education Officer, Nigel Genders, said: "The Growing Faith Foundation will build on the success of the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership and be rooted in our vision for education as we aim to catalyse a culture of instinctive engagement with children, young people and households. As part of the Education and Growing Faith team Lucy will also ensure strong links with the wider vision and strategy work of the Church of England."We are excited to be welcoming Lucy as a colleague, and look forward to all she will bring to the role as Head of the Growing Faith Foundation."Lucy will start her new role in February 2022.
The small shops in Wigan, based at St Thomas, St Nathaniel, St James and Christchurch churches, as well as food deliveries from St Barnabas Church, are supplied by surplus food charities.A ‘Faith café’ run at St James Church on Saturdays, serving on average 40 people week, relies on enterprising volunteer cooks working with supplies donated that morning. ‘You never know what you are going to get each week’ says Revd Mark Wade, who oversees this work for the churches. Guests can pay as they feel they can – including through voluntary work in the café.Typically, members of the food clubs can choose 20 items per shop for the cost of a small annual membership and a small fee per visit. Research into similar food clubs by Church Action on Poverty, Dignity, Choice, Hope, showed that they save households an average of £780 a year on food bills.Revd Mark said that the churches are already observing an increase in demand and this was expected to rise over the winter. The long-term, collaborative nature of the food clubs and café, with members acting also as volunteers, means that they give a greater sense of choice and ownership.People who had never previously visited church before have also attended worship and signed up for Christian enquiry courses such as Alpha after coming to the clubs. He said: “We have had people come to Alpha who had no connection with the church previously through the love, care and relationship building of the food ministry work. ‘We are getting many regular volunteers who valued having been looked after over the last couple of months who have come in and said: ‘how can we help? and are now giving their time.”
